Strategically Incapable and Increasingly Irrelevant

In his 1871 essay “On Strategy”, Helmuth von Moltke (Moltke the Elder) opined, “Strategy is a system of ad hoc expedients; it is more than a mere scholarly discipline. It is the translation of knowledge to practical matters, the improvement of the original leading thought in accordance with continually changing situations.” He further noted, or warned, “That is why general principles, rules derived from them, and systems based on these rules cannot possibly have any value for strategy.” Both Russia and America offer sterling examples proving the worth of Moltke’s wisdom.

For approximately 200 years, Russia has operated and refined a logarithmic mathematical model for conducting warfare. In addition to things like tables of organization and equipment, fire requirements, and logistical considerations, the Russian science-cum-art also integrates dynamic adaptability. Russia’s system, to which the West has no answer or equivalent, is on display via the Special Military Operation, wherein Russia makes very effective as-needed use of another of Moltke’s devices, the concept of offensive defense. This is why Russian negotiators can confidently leave a meeting warning, “next time it will be eight [Oblasts Ukraine and NATO will have to part with]”. It’s why and how Russia currently runs a 26 to 1 kill ratio over what’s left of Kiev’s NATOnian army. It’s why they win.

America, on the other hand, a very few, mostly naval exceptions aside, has never been able to conceive of, organize, or execute any real strategic or operational ambitions. Whereas Russia’s eternal principles might be summarized as “promote and defend Russia, win at all costs,” America’s version is a perpetual commitment to serve the international financial class at all costs. America’s servile house values of usury, sodomy, and genocide may work well to destroy America and associated vassal states, but they are worthless in a war against any foe approaching the peer level. They offer no value for strategy and no path towards victory.

In the SMO contest against NATO, the US, and Ukraine, Russia constantly practices that Clausewitzian maxim of politics with other means. With (mit, not von). Moscow maintains a willingness to engage in honest dialogue, all the while maintaining a death grip on the enemy’s throat. In other words, they will have victory one way or another. And Russia appears to find the other means easier to trust than the ordinary political discourse route. America, having no strategic ability, resorts to things like counterproductive sanctions, hodge-podge junk weapons meant for short-term tactical misuse, and endless word spells—none of which are effective. Of course, lately, both sides have appeared open to talks. Russia, we know, is open, and America says it is. America says a lot, usually without meaning, but here’s to a little hope. 

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Imangali Tasmagambetov, recently expressed “cautious optimism” over the late diplomatic dialogue between Moscow and Washington. In cases like this, that’s probably the only kind of optimism worth holding. After the Putin-Trump telephone chat on May 19, 2025, both sides expressed variants of that optimism. However, there were stark differences between the two cautious assessments. For his part, Vladimir Putin kept open the idea of peace, but conditioned it on objectives Moscow considers essential (like defending Russia, winning, etc.). Trump instead focused on nebulous economic benefits, perhaps forgetting he was talking about warfare rather than a shady New York real estate deal. Regardless, what works will work, so there is still room for circumspect hope, so long as hope is guarded by wary reason.

For all the late hub-bub, America still appears unfitted to maintain a normal existence and relationship with the rest of the world. It remains rather dangerous, though its power to damage is waning. And while America may constitute a pole in the emerging multipolar world order, it is a pole unlike any of the others. As such, the others would do well to keep a close eye on the American monster until something changes. America certainly has not joined forces with Russia and China in the global war of the sovereign states against satanic evil. And for at least a while longer, America cannot join the right side of the conflict, itself being a product of that evil. In fact, America isn’t even sovereign, being instead controlled by various factions of darkness.  The best America can offer at present is more chaos, panicked unpredictability, and endless words of little sense or value. 

America still has a firepower advantage in rhetorical word-slinging. However, that advantage is double-edged because literally everyone sees and understands what Washington’s verbosity really means. (Everyone except America, NATO, Ukraine, and maybe Israel, that is.) For instance, when Trump recently ranted that America won World War II, many Americans felt a sense of pride, both in that the rant was made and in that they felt it was correct. It was dead wrong, of course, and Dmitry Medvedev correctly deemed Trump’s babbling “pompous nonsense.” Similarly, in response to more Trumpian gibbering, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, called Trump’s bellicose garrulity “a source of disgrace for the American nation.” And, most hilariously, the Ansar Allah of Yemen responded to Trump’s labeling of the Yemeni defeat of the US Navy a “capitulation” by simply continuing to deal with their political problems with other means, aka, by continuing to win.

Again, whatever works, will work. And I have no doubt that the leaders of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Burkina Faso, et al, know exactly what they contend with in America and how to keep contending with it. To that end, it’s interesting and important to note that “Ansar Allah” literally means “supporters of God”. Really, this is important to all ends, because when one supports God, He usually supports one back. After all, 

Deo vindice!

Originally at Geopolitika, 5/20/25.